Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons.Doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed Lou Gehrig, the baseball player, with a very rare form of degenerative disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is now called Lou Gehrig's disease. There was no chance he would ever play baseball again. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amylotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm
Motor neurons
Stephen Hawking
spinal neuron with and without ALS
Symptoms
~tripping
~dropping things
~abnormal fatigue of arms and legs
~slurred speech
~muscle cramps
~twitches
~involuntary periods of laughing and crying
The hands and feet are affected first causing difficulty walking, getting dressed, etc. http://healthscout.com/ency/68/53/main.html
inheritance Pattern 90%of AlS cases are sporadic and are not inherited. 10% of familial cases of this disorder, the pattern varies with the type of ALS.
There is a familial form of ALS in adults, which often results from mutation of the superoxide dismutase gene, or SOD1, located on chromosome 21. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=amylotrophiclateralsclerosis
frequency 5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS.
4 to 8 per 100,000 people, only a small % have a known cause
Treatment No cure has yet been found for ALS. However, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug treatment for the disease—riluzole. Riluzole is believed to reduce damage to motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate. Clinical trials with ALS patients showed that riluzole prolongs survival by several months, mainly in those with difficulty swallowing. The drug also extends the time before a patient needs ventilation support. Riluzole does not reverse the damage already done to motor neurons, and patients taking the drug must be monitored for liver damage and other possible side effects. However, this first disease-specific therapy offers hope that the progression of ALS may one day be slowed by new medications or combinations of drugs.
Support groups
The ALS Society of Ontario | www.alsont.ca
Suite 402 - 3100 Steeles Ave E | Markham, Ontario | L3R 8T3 | Canada
Telephone: (905) 248-2101 | Fax: (905) 248-5620 | Toll Free: (866) 611-8545
Charitable Registration Number: 13182 0938 RR0001
The ALS Association, National Office
27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250
Calabasas Hills, CA 91301-5104
Phone: (818) 880-9007
Fax: (818) 880-9006
Amylotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs disease)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons.Doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed Lou Gehrig, the baseball player, with a very rare form of degenerative disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is now called Lou Gehrig's disease. There was no chance he would ever play baseball again.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amylotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm
Symptoms
~tripping~dropping things
~abnormal fatigue of arms and legs
~slurred speech
~muscle cramps
~twitches
~involuntary periods of laughing and crying
The hands and feet are affected first causing difficulty walking, getting dressed, etc.
http://healthscout.com/ency/68/53/main.html
inheritance Pattern
90%of AlS cases are sporadic and are not inherited. 10% of familial cases of this disorder, the pattern varies with the type of ALS.
There is a familial form of ALS in adults, which often results from mutation of the superoxide dismutase gene, or SOD1, located on chromosome 21.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=amylotrophiclateralsclerosis
frequency
5,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS.
4 to 8 per 100,000 people, only a small % have a known cause
Treatment
No cure has yet been found for ALS. However, the Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug treatment for the disease—riluzole. Riluzole is believed to reduce damage to motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate. Clinical trials with ALS patients showed that riluzole prolongs survival by several months, mainly in those with difficulty swallowing. The drug also extends the time before a patient needs ventilation support. Riluzole does not reverse the damage already done to motor neurons, and patients taking the drug must be monitored for liver damage and other possible side effects. However, this first disease-specific therapy offers hope that the progression of ALS may one day be slowed by new medications or combinations of drugs.
Support groups
The ALS Society of Ontario | www.alsont.ca
Suite 402 - 3100 Steeles Ave E | Markham, Ontario | L3R 8T3 | Canada
Telephone: (905) 248-2101 | Fax: (905) 248-5620 | Toll Free: (866) 611-8545
Charitable Registration Number: 13182 0938 RR0001
The ALS Association, National Office
27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250
Calabasas Hills, CA 91301-5104
Phone: (818) 880-9007
Fax: (818) 880-9006
Questions
1. What does ALS stand for?
2.What are some symptoms of ALS?
3.What medicine do they use the slow down ALS?
4.What is the name of one support group?
5.How many poeple are diagnosed each year?